1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to baseball/softball equipment. In particular, it relates to an elastomeric grip/handle which attaches to the knob of a baseball/softball bat and allows the batter to swing the bat while holding the bat knob without interference with the batter's wrist motion, which results in reduced likelihood of injuries to the batter, which results in improved comfort for the batter while manipulating the bat, and which results in higher bat velocity and increased ball flight distance when the ball is struck by the bat.
2. Background
The games of baseball and softball have been played for many years. Originally, baseball was played with a simple stick and a ball having a relatively simple construction. Over time, numerous improvements were made to both the bat and the ball. Usually, these improvements were made to increase in ball flight distance and to increase the usability of the bat.
For ease of discussion, the terms “baseball bat,” “softball bat,” and “bat” may be used interchangeably herein to describe both baseball bats (e.g., which uses a smaller hard ball) and softball bats (e.g., which uses a larger ball). An early problem which became apparent in regard to the use of baseball/softball bats, was a loss of control of the bat which occasionally slipped out of the batter's hand while swinging and created a potential risk of injury to other players. To avoid this safety hazard, the proximal end of the bat, adjacent to the batter's hands, were equipped with a knob whose function was to prevent the bat from slipping from batter's hands when swinging. This simple use of a knob on the proximal end of the bat substantially reduced the number of times a batter lost control of a bat and flung it while swinging the bat. While addressing the loss of control problem, the knob on the proximal end of the bat created several new problems.
For example, many individuals who play baseball or softball do not own their own bats. Quite often, a team will own several bats which are shared by the players. One problem created by this situation is that each player is different in terms of physical size, strength, arm length, finger length, etc. Since multiple batters may share the same bat, the bat which is the perfect size for one batter may have a bat knob or shaft that is too thick or too small for another batter. In the case where a batter is using the bat which is too long, a variety of devices have been developed to help the batter to “shorten up” a bat. The term shorten up refers to gripping the bat on its handle away from its proximal end.
A number of devices have been developed to assist the batter in shortening up the batter's grip. Typically, they involve the use of flexible pads which are installed onto a baseball/softball bat adjacent to the knob. When a batter grasps the bat, the batter's hand rests against the flexible pads rather than the knob of the baseball/softball bat. By varying the number of pads, the batter can adjust where on the bat handle the bat is to be gripped. These types of spacing devices actually reduce the speed at which the bat strikes a baseball because the effective length of the bat is shortened and leverage is reduced. As a result, a batter using this type of device will experience reduced distance and power when a baseball or softball is struck.
Another approach to this problem has been the development of specialized gripping surfaces which are attached to the narrow end of the bat above its proximal end where the knob is located. They are not designed to allow a batter to hold the bat by the knob. It would be desirable to have the ability to grasp the bat by the knob, thereby improving freedom of movement while at the same time improving leverage when swinging a conventional bat.
Another issue related to prior art bats is the potential injury to a batter's hand from repetitious swinging of a baseball/softball bat. The prior art has also attempted to address this issue by providing pads which fit on the knob of a baseball/softball bat. These knobs intervene between the batter's hand and the knob of the baseball/softball bat to reduce impact and friction injuries to the batter's hand. These devices also have the adverse effect of reducing leverage because the hand is moved away from the proximal end of the bat.
While the prior art has provided several devices designed to provide a more secure grip on the baseball/softball bat and to reduce potential injury to the hand of the batter caused by repetitive swinging, the prior art has not provided a method of improving the freedom of motion of the batter's wrist. In addition, the prior art has not provided a method of allowing a batter to take advantage of the entire length of the bat by allowing the batter to grasp the knob of the baseball/softball bat with only a few fingers secured the bat knob in the palm of the batter's hand. Of course, the prior art has failed to provide a device which simultaneously achieves all of these goals.